Business Development Manager

Position Summary

The Business Development Manager drives LEO Events’ growth by identifying, researching, and developing new business opportunities. This role is for someone who enjoys the hunt: digging into companies and industries, finding the right people, connecting the dots, and turning intelligence into action.

Reporting to the Director, Business Development, this role manages prospecting activity from research and outreach through qualification while maintaining the systems, data, and reporting that keep the business development pipeline moving. The ideal candidate is curious, persistent, organized, and energized by creating new relationships and opportunities.

Key Responsibilities

Business Development & Prospecting

• Identify and research prospective clients, key decision-makers, industries, and markets aligned with LEO’s growth strategy.

• Build and prioritize target account lists using company intelligence, industry news, events, conferences, associations, and LEO’s existing network.

• Develop and execute personalized outreach strategies to generate introductions, meetings, and qualified opportunities.

• Build relationships with prospects and maintain consistent, thoughtful follow-up throughout the early stages of the business development process.

• Identify connections among prospects, clients, partners, and LEO team members that can create opportunities or open doors.

• Partner with the Director, Business Development to prioritize accounts, develop pursuit strategies, and determine appropriate next steps.

• Support conference and networking strategies, including prospect identification, meeting preparation, outreach, and post-event follow-up.

• Coordinate prospect meetings and ensure participating leaders have the appropriate background, research, materials, and next steps.

Pipeline, CRM & Performance

• Maintain accurate and timely prospect, contact, activity, and opportunity information in the CRM.

• Manage opportunity stages and pipeline data to ensure an accurate view of business development activity and progress.

• Track prospecting activity and key performance indicators, including outreach, response rates, meetings generated, qualified opportunities, and pipeline progression.

• Build and maintain dashboards and prepare regular pipeline and activity reporting.

• Monitor CRM data quality and reinforce consistent CRM practices across business development activities.

• Track conference and business development ROI and use results to identify trends, gaps, and opportunities for improvement.

• Maintain business development resources, including capabilities presentations and sales collateral, in partnership with Marketing.

• Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, communications, hospitality, or a related field preferred.

• 4 years of experience in business development, sales, account development, or a related field.

• Demonstrated experience using a CRM as a sales/business development tool, specifically for prospecting, outreach, pipeline management, workflows, and follow-up. HubSpot experience strongly preferred.

• Strong research skills with the ability to turn information into actionable business development opportunities.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to develop compelling, personalized outreach.

• Highly organized with strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple prospects and priorities simultaneously.

• Comfortable initiating conversations, pursuing new relationships, and following up persistently and professionally.

• Ability to travel up to 15%, including occasional nights and weekends as business needs require.

Competencies

• Business Development Mindset: Energized by prospecting, relationship development, and creating new opportunities.

• Curiosity & Strategic Thinking: Enjoys researching companies, industries, and people and connecting information in ways that create opportunities.

• Initiative & Persistence: Takes action, follows through, and remains engaged when opportunities require multiple touches over time.

• Relationship Building: Builds credibility and rapport with prospects, clients, partners, and internal stakeholders.

• Organization & Execution: Balances relationship-building with the discipline required to maintain an accurate pipeline, strong follow-up, and reliable CRM data.

• Results Orientation: Focuses activity on meaningful outcomes, including conversations, qualified opportunities, pipeline growth, and revenue.

Physical Requirements and Work Environment

The physical demands and work environment of this position vary depending on office, travel, and program assignments.

This position is primarily office-based and may require extended periods of sitting and computer work. Occasional onsite program responsibilities may involve standing or walking for extended periods, navigating large venues, working extended or irregular hours, and lifting or carrying items weighing up to 25 pounds. Onsite conditions may include varying temperatures, noise levels, crowds, and indoor or outdoor environments.

The employee must be able to perform the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation.

Company Summary

LEO Events is an award-winning, people-first experiential agency and part of the Hoffmann Family of Companies. Since our formation in 2012, we've built a reputation for delivering bold ideas, exceptional quality, and measurable value, shaping some of the industry's most successful experiences for the biggest brands in business.